As we know, the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa is unbelievable! Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22.9 million people are living with HIV in the region - around two thirds of the global total. In 2010 around 1.2 million people died from AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and 1.9 million people became infected with HIV. Since the beginning of the epidemic 14.8 million children have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.
Children are unable to have prosperous childhoods because of all the sickness, malnutrition and other diseases affecting their livelihood. They are denied the proper health care and have poor living conditions. Other implications are the effect on life expectancy, households, schools, productivity, and economic growth and development.
Although this deadly disease is taking a large toll on the citizens of Africa, they are looking for more prevention methods. The first one that has been put in place is promoting condom use. In sub-Saharan Africa, most countries have seen an increase in condom use in recent years. In studies carried out between 2001 and 2005, eight out of eleven countries in sub-Saharan Africa reported an increase in condom use. Another prevention method is the voluntary HIV counseling and testing. In some areas of Africa, they have mobile testing where the nurses will travel to different communities and offer testing. In South Africa, the number of people receiving HIV testing and counselling has significantly increased in recent years as a result of the governments national HIV testing campaign. However, whilst the estimated number of people receiving HIV testing and counselling in 2010 was more than 6.5 million, this is notably less than in 2009 when nearly 7 million people received testing and counselling. Across sub-Saharan Africa it is estimated that 82 tests per 1000 people were carried out in 2010. The last method that I will mention is pre-treatment for the mother-to-child transmission of HIV.Without interventions, there is a 20-45% chance that an HIV-positive mother will pass the virus on to her child. If a woman is supplied with antiretroviral drugs, however, this risk can be significantly reduced. Before these measures can be taken the mother must be aware of her HIV infection, so testing also plays a vital role in the prevention of MTCT. In 2010, preventive drugs reached 64 percent of HIV-infected pregnant women in Eastern and Southern Africa, and 18 percent in West and Central Africa, a decline on 2009 figures.
Treatment and care for HIV/AIDS consists of a number of different elements apart from ARVs. These include voluntary counselling and testing, food and management of nutrition, follow-up counselling, protection from stigma and discrimination, treatment of other sexually transmitted infections, and the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections. Alongside antiretroviral treatment, all of these elements should be made available for all people living with HIV.
HIV/AIDS is killing our children like none other. What can America do to stop this epidemic? Well, the first thing that we can do is EDUCATE, EDUCATE, EDUCATE. We know not, because we ask not and we aren't informed enough. We also need to get rid of the judgemental thoughts and kill the discrimination. Our children look up to us to be the example therefore we need to learn how to support and care about each other more regardless of any disease or aliment one may have. Again, it is not about the disease nor is it the color of one's skin, it is about the heart that we carry and the mentality that we choose to bring along with it!
Reference:
AVERT. (2011). HIV and AIDS in Africa. Retrieved from http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-africa.htm
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